Domino’s says “no” to PETA

April 27, 2015

by Angela Bowman, associate editor, Pork Network

U.S. vegans will have to wait longer for vegan-friendly options at Domino’s.

According to the Detroit Free Press, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) proposed Domino’s add vegan cheese and meat to its topping options.

Despite their request, Domino’s shareholders overwhelmingly rejected the proposal by an estimated 43.2 million votes. Less than one percent of shareholders supported the idea. It should be noted PETA owns 39 of the company’s shares.

“Like any prudent restaurant operation, we only add new items to our menu when there is meaningful consumer demand for that product,” the board told MLive in a report here. “We have yet to see clear indication of that demand, which would suggest that we add it to the menu of our more than 5,000 U.S. stores and, therefore, the Board cannot and does not support this proposal.”

Domino’s vice president of communications Tim McIntyre echoed the board’s statement.

“We’re constantly looking at consumer trends and new things. There has been no sign of consumer demand,” he told Detroit Free Press reporters. “We know a little bit more about launching products than they do. We know a little more about running our company than they do.”

How does the public feel about PETA’s proposal? Here are just a few of the comments left on MLive:

“Thanks Domino’s for supporting American agriculture and not bowing to activists.  We all know that you offer various options for your customers and appreciate the efforts you make to do so.” – Deb Herring

“Thank you Domino’s for once again standing up for our farmers and not giving in to pressure from animal rights activists. I’m not against having vegan options, but I do appreciate your board’s response that changes should be made according to actual consumer demand and not by activists driving an agenda. Whenever I buy franchise pizza, it’s always Domino’s!” – Ryan Goodman

This isn’t the first time Domino’s shareholders have denied requests from animal rights groups. In 2012, shareholders voted against a resolution proposed by the Humane Society of the United States requiring pork suppliers to eliminate individual maternity pens from their gestation barns. The agricultural industry responded by hosting a nation-wide “pizza party” to pay it forward.

The sentiment has yet to wane. At the 2014 World Pork Expo, the industry once again expressed their gratitude to company.

Source: https://www.porknetwork.com/news/dominos-says-no-peta#comments

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